The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-06-10
PALATKA AS SHE IS.
aER FRUITFUL RESOURCES AND
BRILLIANT FUTURE.

., f1OJ6lS,
Business Houses, Railroads, Etc The.
Growing Traffic Over the Florida
Southern-The Clyde Steamship Line
"A Great Project = Manufacturing
Enterprises, Etc.
The tourists investigating Florida, after
leaving her famous metropolis and proceed
ing s'down SOUTH" but up the st. Johns
which flows north, or travels by rail over
the jacksonville, Tampa and Key West
road some fifty miles, is astonished to behold
in such near proximity another city fully
equipped with substantial wharves, elegant
and spacious hotels, numerous and enter
prising business houses, important industries,
far-reaching railroads, a refined society,
growing commerce, influential press, and
all the elements and addenda that make up
thrifty and progressive community. This
is beautiful Palatka, which is the head of
deep navigation on the river, and one
Of the most important and commanding
business centres in the State. Indeed there
is no other location in the eastern portion of
the peninsula that combines so many adj
vantages as port of entry and distributing
point for the commerce of Florida. Here
the largest steamer or ship that can cross the
bar of the st. Johns river, may come di-
rectly to the wharves and discharge, or re-
ceive its cargo, 100 miles by water nearer to
the consumers and producers of the interior,
than at Jacksonville. A network
of railroads also, radiating in every
direction, afford easy communication
with all parts of the Union, and the fruits
and vegetable products of large area of
country are concentrated here, and either
marketed, or shipped elsewhere. The salIl-
brity of the climate, too, and the lofty hills
in the rear, which afford delightful retreats
to many from the summer heats, offer ad-
ditional attractions to those seeking home
in Florida. One great drawback, however,
to the prosperity of the town, is the lack OF
WHOLESALE BUSINESS HOUSES,
But with the extraordinary facilities
offered through the several railroads reach
ing out in every direction through the pen
insula, for the reception and handling of
commodities of every kind, this want cannot
exist much longer. Several large hardware
establishments and capacious warehouses
are already in position, and the number in
other lines of business will doubtless soon he
increased.
AS an evidence of the growing traffic
over the Florida Southern railroad it NAV
be mentioned that Ia, 900 boxes of oranges
were received here by the main line during
the past season, while the Jacksonville,
Tampa and Key West road affords COM
plete outlet to the North, and the ST. Angus
tine and Palatka railway, completed within
year, brings the historic city of the At
lantic coast within fifty minutes ride of Pa
latka.
Another railway, the ST. Johns and Hall
fax, only recently opened, has already de-
yeloped the. picturesque town Of Daytona
into fiouriShing city, and will make tribu-
tary to this place large portion of the In
dian river trade. Still, there seems to be
no limit to the push and enterprise of this
growing city, for we find that company
has been organized to Construct a road
auspices of leading and reliable CAPT
talists, and to complete the Gordon
and highways, still another is in
contemplation, with every assurance of sue
cess. The latter, it is said, will be built by
the Florida Southern Railway Company, on
direct line to Barlow and at saving of
forty-five miles to its gulf connections It
IS proposed to start the new road from Pa
latka and go south along the ST. Johns
river for thirty miles to Salt Springs, thence
to point on the st. Johns and Eustis di-
vision Ia branch of the Florida Southern,
thence by that road to Tavares and then
direct to Barlow This route is
almost an air line and passes through
one of the best fruit and agricultural dis
Florida Southern will decide to build the
proposed road on the eastern shore of the
st. Johns, as the more populous and eligible
side of that river. In that event the bridge
across the river would probably be placed
at Mt. Royal, and the construction thence
be continued on the Western bank. But
whatever the precise route may be, the
building'ot the road seems to be a fixedfac
1t is asserted that Mr.. W p Couper, the
aNorifa If ha do
with a full corps of assistants, will begin the
survey Immediately.
The new road will probably bear the
name of the FLORIDA Construction Com
pany," while practically the property ''all
the same" of the Florida Southern"
THE CLYDE STEAMSHIP LINE.
But the biggest bonanza in sight for Pa
latka is the well authenticated report that
the service of that line will be extended
thither early in the ensuing fall The Board
of Trade has been making strenuous efforts
to achieve this result, and only recently'its
President has visited New York and held
a conference with the Clyde managers
on the subject. Every business house
in Palatka entered into written agreement
to give their entire New York freights to
this line of steamers if they would come to
their city. And while In the absence of a
positive contract in the premises, they have
every assurance that it will be done, and are
jubilant over the prospect
1t is announced that all of the shippers
south of Palatka will follow suit, and send
their products over this line. which would
tax its carrying capacity TO the utmost. OF
course the Florida Southern is
greatly interested in this move
ment, as 1t must have a Northern
outlet for its business. and since the taking
of of the Charleston line has been looking
around for some such arrangement. Last
season much of its freight was sent North
by the circuitous route of Gainesville, but
the "Clyde Line will supersede any such
roundabout operations.
A GREAT PROJECT.
1t is in contemplation to bridge the st.
Johns river at Palatla and erect in that
city a union depot for the accommodation
of all the roads divergiag from that point.
The proposition meets with universal favor.
not only from the railroads, but the people
generally When this great scheme will be
"a, fat occompti cannot Just now be stated,
but the time is not far distant. The precise
location is still matter of controversy, but
doubtless some compromise that will recon
Gle conflicting interests will be adopted. IL
is proposed to model the bridge after one of
the grand iron structures in Chicago, with
railway track and sidewalks for foot passen-
gero.
A prTrCKY cry